Swissair

The national airline of Switzerland from 1931 until 2002 was once known as the "Flying Bank" because of its financial stability.

Over-expansion and the global economic downturn put an end to that, however, and in 2002 (with a fleet of 76 aircraft serving 157 cities) it ceased operations. At the time, a BBC correspondent said of the collapse: "Something did die in Switzerland that day: not just an airline but an image the Swiss had of themselves and, more importantly, of their business leaders."

Swissair's regional subsidiary, Crossair, went on to become Swiss International Air Lines.